41. Straws and Strawberries
Best Place to Purchase: Aldi, Costco
Average Product Price: $2.22-$3.22/lb.* (Strawberries)
Strawberries are a healthy, delicious snack, whether on their own or added to a salad or dessert. Strawberry shortcake is one of the classic desserts, and, though it’s delicious, the process of chopping all the strawberries can be tedious. You need to remove the leafy green parts, but it’s not easy to do that without hacking off the whole top of the berry.
Hull Strawberries @Americas Test Kitchen/YouTube
Until now. You can use a cheap plastic (or metal) straw to remove the leafy part of the strawberry. Just shove the straw straight through the berry’s pointy end, and that will push out the leaves.
42. Greek Yogurt Containers
Best Place to Purchase: Whole Foods, Local grocery stores
Average Product Price: $1.05*
Greek yogurt has been around for centuries, but it has only relatively recently become a popular food in America. Greek yogurt, according to Healthline, provides a range of nutrients, including potassium, calcium, iodine, protein, and more. It’s a healthy snack that won’t cost you a ton of calories.
Fage Yogurt @PlumStreetCollective/Twitter.com
Greek yogurt fans will be familiar with the container layout: one side has the plain yogurt, and the other side has honey, fruit, nuts, and whatever else will spice it up. If you’ve been spooning those toppings into the yogurt, there’s no need. These containers are able to easily fold in half to dump the toppings in the yogurt, no spoon required.
43. “Empty” Ink Cartridges
Best Place to Purchase: Epson.com, Staples, Office Depot
Average Product Price: $36-$82/cartridge*
One of the most annoying tech-related things ever is going to print something and getting the notification that you’re out of ink. It is super inconvenient, and, possibly with this trick, avoidable. Techwalla filled everyone in on this convenient life hack, where you can reset an Epson ink cartridge with a paperclip.
Ink Cartridge Hack @Inkjet Star, Inc./YouTube
Epsons have a memory chip that tells your computer when there’s no more ink. To reset, take a metal paperclip and bend one of the ends out at a 90-degree right angle. Take out the cartridge from the printer and insert the end of the paperclip into the hole at the bottom of the cartridge. Press down. Put the cartridge back, and you should be able to print as normal.
44. Pipe Cleaners
Best Place to Purchase: Target, Michael’s, Amazon
Average Product Price: $4.49/100*
Pipe cleaners are those super colorful, bendy, fuzzy straws that you use for arts and crafts. While they are great for a cleanup-free arts and crafts time with your kids, they’re not called “pipe cleaners” for no reason. You can actually use them to clean out pipes. Even sparkly pink cleaners can be used to get into a pipe’s nooks and crannies.
Pipe Cleaners ©Cliff/stock.adobe.com
That’s not all that pipe cleaners can be used for. They can get into any tight space that you’re having trouble cleaning. Additionally, they can be wound around the neck of a leaky bottle to catch drips, or you can use them to apply liquids like paints, solvents, greases, oils, and similar substances.
45. Microwaves
Best Place to Purchase: Best Buy, Home Depot, Target
Average Product Price: $50-$200*
Microwaves are a fast, easy way to heat something up, especially if you don’t feel like cooking and just want to chow down on some leftovers. However, it can be a pain waiting for each food item to finish heating, so you can put the next one in.
Microwave Hack @Kitchn/Pinterest
Try this hack to heat two food items at one. Place your first plate on the microwave’s platter and push it to the side. Then set an upside-down coffee mug (microwave-safe) next to it. You can set your second plate atop the mug. The microwave has the heat for both, even if the platter has limited space.
46. Dental Floss
Best Place to Purchase: Drug stores, dollar stores
Average Product Price: $2.67*
According to the American Dental Association, you should brush twice a day and floss once, either after dinner or after lunch. While interdental picks are popular, good old string floss is still the go-to dental tool for most people. However, as flossers know, wrapping the floss around your fingers can be a little painful.
Dental Floss @Madisonz1 / Pinterest
To avoid strangling your fingers, try this easy hack: tie your floss into a loop, securing it with a simple knot. That way, you use less actual floss and don’t have to wrap the ends around your fingers, making for a pain-free experience that you (and your teeth) will appreciate.
47. Oreos
Best Place to Purchase: Local grocery stores, Costco
Average Product Price: $2.12/lb.*
This idea was posted on Instagram, and it took off, as people were amazed at the simplicity and wondered why they didn’t think of it first. Oreo cookies are best dipped in milk, but it’s hard to dip the entire cookie in if you’re using your fingers. To avoid this Achilles’ heel, you can use a fork.
Oreos @twelve_point / Instagram.com
Stick a fork into the cookie’s crème filling. The crème will hold it there while you dip. That way, you can dunk the entire cookie without having to get messy. Though it’s unclear who came up with this idea, they are definitely a total genius.
48. Bobby Pins
Best Place to Purchase: Dollar stores, Target, Amazon
Average Product Price: $14.79/400*
Just like bananas, doing what your instinct tells you do with this item has probably led you to make a common mistake. You probably slide bobby pins into your hair with the smooth, non-ridged side facing downward. Next time, reverse that.
Bobby Pins ©blueee/stock.adobe.com
Bobby pins were designed to lay against the scalp with the grooved side facing downward, allowing them to better grip your hair. You’ll find that, when you place the bobby pins with the ridged, grooved side facing downward, they will stay in your hair more securely. You’ll use less pins that way, saving you time and energy when it’s time to take your hair down.
49. Toasters
Best Place to Purchase: Best Buy, Home Depot, Target
Average Product Price: $30-$100*
Grilled cheese sandwiches are a delicious meal, no matter what time of day you’re enjoying them. However, sometimes you don’t want to get out the pan and dishes to cook the grilled cheese. This toaster hack will let you enjoy your yummy meal without causing a mess.
Toasters @anamilaroq / Pinterest
Turn your toaster sideways. Insert a slice of bread with a slice of cheese on top into each slot—cheese side up, of course. When they’re ready, flip one slice over, and place it on top of the other to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Just don’t get the cheese on the toaster part, as that’s a nightmare to clean up.
50. Blenders
Best Place to Purchase: Best Buy, Target, Amazon (online)
Average Product Price: $60-$270*
There are few things more delicious than a fruit smoothie. Though these smoothies do have a lot of sugar, they are far healthier than, let’s say, a chocolate milkshake. If you’re a smoothie fan, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re loading your blender correctly, to get the silkiest drinks.
Blenders ©Dar1930 / Shutterstock
Here’s how to load your blender. First, start with your liquids, such as juice or milk. Then, add the solid components (the fruit) last. The blender’s motion will suck down the solid items, as opposed to merely tunneling through their center. This will, in turn, create the smoothest smoothies around.